This invention generally relates to racks and other types of chassis for receiving equipment, including but not limited to electronic equipment and the like, and more particularly, to a fixture for mounting such equipment in regions which are difficult to access.
Support frames, generally referred to in the industry as “racks”, are conventionally used to receive desired electrical components such as circuit boards, modules or similar equipment and to support the received electrical components in desired position. Such racks can either be open, or enclosed to develop a housing (or cabinet) for receiving desired equipment.
Racks of this general type are conventionally comprised of a series of framing elements which are combined to develop an enclosure for the equipment which is to be received in the resulting structure. To this end, a series of brackets is generally connected between a pair of support plates to develop an open enclosure for receiving desired equipment. The brackets are then provided with a series of holes for cooperating with equipment which is to be received in the resulting rack.
In use, electrical equipment which is to be mounted in the rack is positioned between the opposing brackets and is attached to the brackets using conventional hardware. Electrical connections between electrical components mounted in the rack and support components for interfacing with the mounted electrical components (for example, power strips, hub switches, firewalls, etc.) are then established, generally to the rear of the rack.
To facilitate servicing of the electrical equipment mounted in the rack, including any system supporting components, it is often required to access such equipment and the electrical interconnections associated with such equipment through the rear of the rack, between the rearward brackets which comprise the rack. To permit free access to such equipment from the rear of the rack, it is generally necessary for such equipment to be located in regions of the rack where access will not be hampered by any interfering structures. This generally requires support components such as power strips, hub switches and firewalls to occupy regions of the rack which could otherwise be used to receive primary electrical components such as circuit boards, modules or similar electrical components.
Regions exist within the confines of the rack which could otherwise accept the relatively small support components which are used to interface with the remainder of the system, but for the need to be able to conveniently access such components. For example, power strips have at times been placed along the upper and/or lower regions of the rack, regions which are often used to house ducting and fans for ventilating the rack and the equipment mounted in the rack. Such placement avoids the need to position the power strips in regions of the rack which could otherwise be used to receive primary electrical components. However, placement of the power strips along the upper and/or lower regions of the rack has the corresponding disadvantage that significantly longer power cables are then required to connect the power strips with the electrical components which are to be supplied with power for operation. Moreover, some of the more recent racks which have been developed already make use of such space, in such cases preventing components from being positioned in such regions.
It would also be possible for relatively small support components such as power strips, hub switches and firewalls to be located in regions of the rack which are blocked by the support brackets which form the rack, but for the need to have to access the support components which are located in such “blind” spots, which will hereinafter be referred to as areas of “limited access”. This would then free remaining space, which is otherwise freely accessible, to receive primary electrical components such as circuit boards, modules and the like.